2009 Gloria, St-Julien

SKU #111309894 points
Decanter

One of the best value St-Juliens, this is an estate that was beginning to come in to its own around 2009, and it shows extremely well here. The tannins increase a touch as you head north in the Médoc, filling the glass, but in St-Julien they're always tempered by a blast of freshness and elegance. This is succulent, utterly delicious and pliable, with juicy black fruits. It's pretty much ready to go too, but with tons of life ahead of it. A bloody great wine, one I thoroughly recommend for its quality and value also. Drinking Window 2019-2042. (JA)
(2/2019)

93 points
James Suckling

Ripe and fleshy, generous yet balanced, this is a very attractive Médoc wine that's good to drink now or hold.
(3/2019)

93 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Medium garnet colored, the 2009 Gloria rolls out of the glass with alluring scents of potpourri, Black Forest cake, Morello cherries and raspberry compote with touches of rose hip tea, cinnamon stick and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it packs the palate with generous red berry preserves and exotic spices layers, framed by velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Drink through 2035. (LPB)
(3/2019)

93 points
Vinous

The 2009 Gloria is tightly wound on the nose with lifted blackberry, bilberry, brine and crushed stone aromas - very nicely focused with real vigour and vibrancy. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain but assertive tannin that frame the layers of toasty black fruit laced with brown spices and white pepper. There is real personality to this Saint-Julien, very persistent in the mouth although, I would have liked a little more depth on the finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. (NM)
(3/2019)

Product Reviews:

½* More gritty and smoky, with integrated tannins. Quite nice. Along with the great 2010, this wine harkens back to the glory days of Gloria in the 60s. Sweeter than 2010 but will age superbly.

Drink from 2016 to 2025

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking.
A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Saint Julien

- St. Julien, the smallest of the four famous appellations of the Haut Medoc, is known for highly extracted, finely structured, Cabernet-based reds. It is nestled between Pauillac to the north and Margaux to the south. Like St. Estephe, there are no first growths in this area. Leoville-las-Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Leoville Barton, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Gruard Larose are the second-growths of St. Julien followed by Lagrange which is the only third-growth. Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru, St. Pierre, and Talbot, which are all fourth-growth wines, round out the grand cru classe chateaux. In the last several vintages, wineries from this appellation have been out-performing their traditional rankings making many of the wines from this region some of the best values in red wine today.